Lowland Canterbury landscapes in the making

Abstract: This article explores environmental imaginaries of colonization in lowland Canterbury. In 1844 Edward Shortland observed that his Māori companions had an exceptionally detailed geographical knowledge of the area and its resources, yet a few years later European settlers were viewing it as an empty stage on which to envision newly‐constructed landscapes. The terrain was contested, but colonial ‘improvement’, through the creation of spaces of modernity, took no cognizance of this. The legacies of that transformation are a simplified, orderly landscape, and fractured but persistent memories of indigenous ecosystems that are now being revived.     

Embracing postcolonial geographies: Contributions by Dame Evelyn Stokes to the development of postcolonial geography in New Zealand

Abstract: This paper acknowledges Dame Evelyn Stokes’ introduction of postcolonial critical analysis of Māori/Pākehā relationships before postcolonialism was established as a field of theoretical enquiry. The paper reviews research I have done on some of the issues faced by the Mashantucket Pequots in the wider context of the contribution Dame Evelyn Stokes was making to similar debates in New Zealand. She emphasized that Māori research and knowledge provide a different world view and that this world view needs to be taken into account in any geographical study of New Zealand. Only in this way will it be possible to avoid the continued marginalization of Māoris from nation building in their own country.     

Problems in revegetation from seed of rangelands on calcareous silty clay soils in Jordan

A major obstacle in the rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Jordan, and the Middle East in general, is poor regeneration from seed. In laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments, indigenous plant species' seeds tolerated mannitol-induced water stress better than the seeds of introduced plant species. Germination and plant establishment were lower in a silty clay soft compared to peatmoss; seedlings could not penetrate the hard surface layer of the silty clay. Plant regeneration from seed in arid calcareous silty clay rangelands was better when protected from grazing; it was very slow due to surface crusting, low soil moisture content and high soil temperature which prevailed most parts of the year. Contour planting with water harvesting are possible solutions to poor plant establishment.     

Geomicrobiological in-situ containment of uranium in subsurface and its long-term stability

Uranium is a redox-sensitive element. While U （Ⅵ）, the oxidized form of uranium, is soluble and thus mobile in groundwater, U （Ⅳ） readily forms UO2（s） and is precipitated. Recent geomicrobiological researches demonstrated that dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria can effectively remove uranium fi＇om contaminated groundwater by reducing soluble U （Ⅵ） to relatively insoluble U （Ⅳ）. This novel form of microbial reduction of U （Ⅵ） is reported to be much faster than abiological reduction. The objective of this work was to investigate U （Ⅵ） reduction by indigenous bacteria in uranium-bearing black shale sediment and to determine whether microbially-precipitated uranium has long-term stability in subsurface. Through this study, fundamental information on the effects of microorganisms on the fate of redox-sensitive elements in natural settings will be provided. Soil and sediment samples were collected from uranium-bearing black shale in the Dukpyung area in Korea. Microbial inoculum was prepared from soil and sediment slurry supernatant. The reactors were purged with N2 ： CO2 gas （80 ; 20） to maintain anaerobic condition. Glucose, acetate or lactate was added as an electron donor at a final concentration of 5 mM.     

Effective Removal of Microorganisms and Biostimulants of Wastewater by the Application of Various Electrolytes

A variety of electrolytes FeCl₃, CaCl₂, CuSO₄, Al₂(SO₄)₃, and LaCl₃ was investigated for their efficiency in removing biostimulants (phosphorous and nitrogen) to improve the water quality. Results show that the removal of PO₄^3– was achieved below the detection limit (BDL) by two electrolytes, CuSO₄ and Al₂(SO₄)₃, and up to 1.0 ± 0.0 mg/L by LaCl₃ from a value of 15.0 mg/L, of the concentration of PO₄^3– in amended water. The turbidity was found to be removed significantly by FeCl₃, CuSO₄, and Al₂(SO₄)₃ by about 5.8 ± 2.6, 9.7 ± 1.0, and 5.4 ± 1.1 nephalometric turbidity unit (NTU), respectively. The removal of the members of Enterobacteriaceae viz., Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp. Pseudomonas fluorescence, and Pseudomonas spp. was found almost in all the chemical precipitants but their removal was more significant in the water samples treated with CuSO₄, Al₂(SO₄)₃, and LaCl₃. To achieve a complete removal and to sustain the after effects of precipitation, such as recurrence of algal growth, the combination of CuSO₄ and Al₂(SO₄)₃ was investigated. Reduction in the turbidity from 30.83 to <2 NTU, phosphate ion from a value of 1.28 mg/L to BDL and ammonia ion from a value of 44.71 to 36.48 mg/L of natural pond water were observed after the treatment with CuSO₄ and Al₂(SO₄)₃ in combination.     

Challenging power from the bottom up? Community protocols,benefit-sharing,and the challenge of dominant discourses

This article discusses the ways in which community protocols might challenge the dominant discourses that guide environmental law and policy at the local, national and international levels and makes suggestions about the conditions that need to be fulfilled if such a challenge is to be effective. Community protocols have attracted the attention of many scholars as they are recognised in the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Nagoya Protocol. They are argued to hold the potential to achieve fair and equitable benefit-sharing by allowing local community voices to express their customary law, worldviews, and ideas of benefit and development among other things. While much of the existing literature discusses community protocols as legal tools, they are also tools that may challenge the dominant discourses argued to guide environmental law and policy. The article takes up this question on the basis of findings from five original case studies. It is argued that community protocols may challenge dominant discourses by: facilitating and articulating the recognition of local communities and indigenous peoples; providing a source for understanding their worldviews; and by empowering them in the long term. In order to achieve these outcomes, community protocol must be understood as processes and pay attention to legal and political contexts, how communities organise, the role of supporting actors, and the articulation of benefits.     

Beyond 'someone else's agenda': An example of indigenous/academic research collaboration

In recent years, Māori and wider indigenous geographies have flourished. These include works by scholars identifying specific Māori or indigenous issues but less attention has been paid to the way such research is conducted. This paper engages with these developments and presents the practices and lessons learnt from one particular research collaboration. Relationship building, multiple methods, flexibility, communication choices and wider support are all noted as key elements in establishing a supportive and fruitful collaboration.     

珠江三角洲城市群大气微生物优势 种群及时空分异特征

用JWL-IIB新型固体撞击式多功能空气微生物采集仪,于2005至2007年,分别在春、夏、秋、冬不同的季节,对珠江三角洲8个城市(广州、深圳、珠海、佛山、江门、东莞、惠州、中山)的四个不同的功能区(交通枢纽、商业区步行街、居民区和工业区)161个样点,进行大气微生物采样、测定与时空分布规律初步研究,拟为珠江三角洲城市环境污染的综合防治和卫生防疫工作提供依据。研究结果表明:珠江三角洲城市群大气微生物真菌的优势种群有:曲霉属(Aspergillus)、青霉属(Penicillium)、枝孢属( Cladosporium)、芽枝霉属(Clodosporium)等,共19属21种,细菌的优势种群有芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)、葡萄球菌属(Staphylococcus)、微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)、链霉菌属(Streptomyces)等,共4属15种。大气微生物含量在珠江三角洲城市群中广州和东莞较高,细菌比真菌含量高;室内较室外高,无绿化地较有绿化地高,大气微生物含量在全年中,春、夏季相对较高。     

16S rDNA技术在近海环境监测中的应用

将16S rDNA技术应用于近海环境监测中，分析海洋环境样品中的微生物组成与环境污染程度的关系．从原核微生物多样性的改变较为准确地确定海洋污染程度，是传统海洋环境监测的良好补充，有利于加大近海海洋环境监测力度。     

黄河三角洲退化湿地微生物特性的研究

本研究通过DAPI染色法、FDA染色法和稀释平板法对黄河三角洲退化湿地微生物特性进行研究,在分析土壤盐度和植物根际效应对微生物特性影响的基础上,探讨了微生物群落的垂直分布特征,并对可培养耐盐微生物进行了初步分离。结果表明,土壤盐度与微生物数量、活性及多样性呈显著负相关性(P<0.01)。耐盐细菌在耐盐微生物中占绝对优势,放线菌次之,真菌最少;微生物群落具有明显的垂直分布特征,数量、活性和多样性均随土层深度的增加而下降。五种植物(碱蓬、柽柳、芦苇、白茅、茵陈蒿)根际微生物群落的数量、活性及多样性明显高于非根际微生物群落;与柽柳、芦苇、白茅、茵陈蒿相比,碱蓬的根际效应最强。这些结果可为进一步开发利用滨海湿地微生物资源,形成修复退化湿地盐碱化土壤的植物-微生物耦合系统提供必要的理论依据。